Faction Ascension [Open to Sith and Jedi]

[Jasper Kai'el]

Aing Ti, The Embrace
Tags: Vera Noble , Silas Westgard

​

"You're hurt."

"Don't you worry about a thing," Jasper assured with a warm smile, patting the child's back with his organic hand. "I'm tougher than I look."

He wanted to keep the situation positive. Vera was beside herself, sobbing and trembling. Jasper needed to keep his composure, especially for her sake. As Silas arrived, Vera bolted over to hug him. The young councilmember was rather relieved himself. Silas was one of his most trusted friends. He was confident in him, needless to say.

"I missed mommy and daddy."

"You'll be home in no time," he stated. "I promise," then he turned to Silas, his expression more serious. "I'm gonna get her out of here. I'd appreciate it if you covered our exit. I... don't want you to be here any longer than you have to when we've departed. I know you probably want to clean up once Vera's safe, but we're going to need every Jedi we can on standby if whatever's going on in Mortis winds up a bigger mess. I hate to pull rank, but I want you to consider that a direct order."

If something went south in the wellspring, they would need all the hands they could get. He wasn't taking any chances if he was going to be the one leading the charge. Jasper hated thinking about a galaxy where Valery and Kahlil didn't make it back, but as a member of the council he had to consider such a possibility.

"Alright," he began again, turning to Vera, "Are you ready to get out of here?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Their unity was strong, it lent them unimaginable strength. These three stood resolute against the darkness, uncowed before the shadow that loomed over them. But the Dark Lord had come too far, gambled too much, to simply be handled like some common cutthroat. He stood just as defiantly against the Jedi as they stood against Him, regal in His dark majesty, surrounded by the immutable power of the Dark Side of the Force. It flowed through Him, energized every atom, and flowed out as pure unmitigated strength.

Kaahlil was a cur, little more than an animal, but an animal yet had its uses. Demiurge was unreliable, the truth of his servitude to the Sepulchral now revealed, but He was inseparable from the Dark Lord. Carnifex needed them both, to achieve what He has sought for so very long. Not immortality, for that was conceivably already found through ulterior means. The Dark Lord's body was giving out, incapable of replenishing cells lost to the dark power He wielded. He would cease to function, becoming little more than a living prison.

It was unacceptable.

This resistance was unacceptable.

"Motes of dust, fit only to be brushed aside." The thunderous voice the Dark Lord cut across the fighting grounds, reverberating through the air. Kaahlil grit his teeth as he blocked a strike from Valery, who now stood to face him. His eyes blazed with jealousy and spite, now faced with the object of his obsession. Demiurge only glowered as his attack met not Valery, but Kahlil instead. The three maneuvered themselves near to one another, even the Dark Lord's shadow, wounded by Thurion's strike, slunk across the ground to rejoin its master.

As the onslaught of the Light began, the three Sith acted as one.

The Sovereign.

The Seeker.

And the Vessel.

Godhead personified, they combined their powers of darkness to resist the light which fell upon them. Like a swung hammer, the impact release a great shockwave of energy. Light slammed into darkness, an explosion rippling out from where the two opposite forces met. Lightning struck out, burning the ground with arcs of pure energy. Nearby floating islands, having haplessly meandered near the conflict, were broken apart by the sheer traumatic impact. Wind rushed out, flattening trees and tearing bushes from their roots. The animals which inhabited this realm, comprised of the Living Force, were buffeted away.

An umbral miasma emanated from the three Sith, crawling across the ground and turning life to rot. Powerful light, powerful darkness. As light rose in strength, so too did darkness rise to meet it. Both were caught in a perpetual loop, feeding into one another without end. And as conflict continued to persist in this sacred realm, then so too would the Dark Side continue to grow and grow.

As the smoke cleared, Kaahlil had fallen to one knee, the weakest of the trio. Demiurge teetered, but was still standing. Carnifex rose above them all, the strongest by far, and with the unending powers of the Dark Side in His grasp. "Why do you thrash against fate, when it is already written." He reached out, hand extended, and seized several of the surviving islands around them. Pulled free from their lackadaisical orbit, the islands careened towards the Jedi like falling stars.

"Every eventuality, every twisting pathway, has been seen. I have said it before, you cannot stop what is to come. You will all bear witness to my glorious ascension," spoke the Dark Lord, "So kneel, and you may yet be spared."

Thurion Heavenshield | Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Darth Centax]

Location: Mortis. Monastery Steps, Right/West Side.
Tag: Caden Evesa

Pushed backward from out of their saber lock, his feet tried to grip the ethereal ground, failing badly. Makashi was an elegant form, smooth and efficient attacks which his opponent fell into. Mostly targeting the hips, shoulders and head. Caden's speed increased as he found that smoother tempo and was actually faster than Centax in his heavier armor, scoring a burning mark across the Darth's right hip to cause pain. Thankfully Ataru equalized that in short bursts of potency, lightning attacks. Rolling backward to give room, avoidance, and counter the core of the style.

"You have spirit." It was refreshing to kill a man who knew how to handle a saber. "Use it."

Although Caden wasn't perfect either it seemed, neither were Master's yet. Creating a split-second vulnerability, The Darth did a simultaneous feinting counter and attack. Ducking low, and forward, a backhand slash upward toward the stomach. He feinted, moving quickly to Caden's left side and angled behind him. Centax saber rolled up and around toward his opponent's back. Going for the real two-handed strike, bringing it down hard with a twist of his body. Finishing a good force pull at Caden's ankles, which tried to knock him face first or offbalance, before Centax might finish any resistance with the continuing downward slash. All one move. He'd sacrificed much to earn his craft.

Centax was skilled enough to know that although they'd just started. If this went on a long time, he would tire far before his opponent in their contrasting styles. Makashi was designed to stay the course and Ataru was designed to win quickly, as far apart as styles came in that regard.

"Glory is never earned through surrender, only sacrifice." His own evolution of the Kethenite law. Centax's code and creed to come.

 

[Valery Noble]

Wellspring of Life

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Thurion Heavenshield Darth Carnifex

Tension was rising.

The clash between Light and Dark gradually increased in intensity throughout the fight and was finally starting to build up to a climactic end. Lightning and explosives waves of Force power were already ripping apart islands, while each combatant continued to push themselves even further and further. The swap between sword and shield, the fight between the King and his oldest and greatest enemy — this was the culmination of decades of conflict.

When smoke and dust settled after a powerful, explosive tremor in the Force, Valery was standing tall but breathing heavier. Kaahlil, her target, was forced down to a knee and she could feel how the battle had affected the others. But rising above their enemies was the enemy she wanted to bring down the most.

The Dark Lord spoke, and Valery could feel a shift in the Force, hitting her mind like a tidal wave. Immediately, she rushed forward, placing herself in front of her husband and the King, before extending her arm outwards. In an instant, every muscle in her body tightened, while her eyes began to burn. She had tapped into the Force and summoned its strength to hold back or deflect the Islands that were coming for them.

She wanted to give the others a chance to advance.

"We'll never kneel."

 

[Caden Evesa]

Location: Mortis
With: Darth Centax
Allies: Jedi
Enemies: Sith
Equipment: Field Robes | Lightsaber
​

Caden continued to dance.

The fight was intense, similar to a dance. The young Jedi had managed to strike a glancing blow against the Sith he was opposing but the Sith was coming back just an intensely. A moment of weakness provided by Caden gave his opponent the perfect opportunity to retake control of their fight. All it took was a feinting manouver and the control shifted quickly from Caden to Centax.

Yellow was clashing with Red quicker than Caden's eyes could keep up. He was trusting in the Force, trusting that his blade would meet the strikes from the Sith. He managed to defend the upward strike towards the torso, but the strike to the back was too much. It sent Caden stumbling. It hurt, although Caden wouldn't admit it. If it wasn't for his armoured robes, it would have done much more than hurt, he was likely to be dead.

Some of the fabric had been torn by the weapon though, of that he was certain. He wasn't sure if his robes would be able to take another lightsaber strike to the back and he had no interest in finding out for fear of being impaled or sliced in two by the weapon. He wanted to end this quickly, somehow. He wasn't quite sure how yet, he didn't have a plan.

Then he stumbled again, this time thanks to his opponent tapping into the Force. He didn't quite end up on his face, although he was close. He barely registered the red blade coming towards him, barely stopping it inches from his face with his own yellow weapon. He was lucky he didn't end up sliced in two, red blade down his middle leaving two halves of a Caden to be found on the surface of Mortis.

The young Jedi psychically kicked his opponent away and backed off, creating some space between himself and Centax.

"You fight well. I respect it, I really do. But please, come on, let's just end this with a surrender and I'll even let you live. You know just as well as I do, I can sustain this longer than you. Makashi is designed to last, you'll tire yourself out with Ataru long before Makashi tires me out. So come on! Surrender already! Glory isn't everything in this Galaxy. Hell, I have no Glory. I don't want Glory. Sometimes it's not about Glory, sometimes it's just about being better than those who come before us and in this situation it's better to just do the right thing"

He took a deep breath, pointing his blade towards his foe.

Cocky, yes. He'd been described as cocky a thousand times. He wasn't foolish though, he knew his opponent wouldn't surrender. He had to try but he knew it wouldn't work. He knew his opponent would come back in with another strong attack. Some people would have struck first to get the advantage, but not Caden. Instead he offered the Makashi salute and waited for his opposition to make the first strike and reingage their combat.

He was ready to take control again.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Valery raised her hands, and Kahlil did the same. Not to help defend against the coming islands though. He trusted Valery to handle that. He could feel her intention, and similarly, Kahlil's own were easy to know to her.

"Thurion!"

The Darkness that his father used, he knew it well. The runes to falter and weaken the Light, to protect him against the one thing that he knew he couldn't protect himself from. That was the skill of a Sith, using obscure means to falter the Jedi. The more that was known, the weaker they'd get. And thanks to Demiurge, Kahlil now had the missing pieces for his own. Just as the Sith thrived on being unknown, Kahlil knew what he'd do would only ever work once.

That what he and Jasper Kai'el created would only work once.

A different sequence of runes rippled through the air. Not from the Sith, but something more ancient. It scrawled as if painted on the air itself, shifted and flowed like water. Both hands moved, pulled, guided, weaved his runes to both surround the King's blade. And try to punch straight through the protective darkness his Father wielded.

"Now!"

Thurion Heavenshield | Darth Carnifex | Valery Noble

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

The Wellspring of Life​

There was no end to the dark powers at Carnifex's command, as Thurion knew from experience. Old age had not yet weathered either lifelong warrior, having only served to hone their body and spirit to perfection. The only difference between the two was that Thurion felt the onslaught of years bearing down on him, for he was as much Human as he was Valkyri. He knew he would likely not succumb to the march of time for many decades to come, having only reached what his people considered middle age, yet he still felt each year add to the aforementioned burden.

His sons, grandchildren, and their future children would all lead long lives. His dearly beloved wife, however, would not, for she did not share the longevity found in Valkyri blood. In time, she would inevitably go where he could not follow, doomed to pass before her husband. Nothing terrified him more than knowing he would have to face that soul-wrenching day.

Even in the midst of such a pivotal battle, Thurion's thoughts turned to home. Such was the well-known proverb of his people; "a man's last thoughts should be of home and hearth."

Focus, Child.

"Thurion!"

The voice of Kahlil broke through his momentary introspection as the warmth of home was immediately replaced with the heat of battle. Valery was putting her all into stopping the floating islands from crashing down on them, while her husband tapped into the winds of magic to further imbue Anarion with powers hitherto unseen.

"Why," he repeated the Dark Lord's choice of words, staring him down as both beings brimmed with power. The voice of his master receded, pushing her son to the forefront. What the Lion spoke next held in it no hint of anger, rage, or hatred for the foe he faced. There was only peace and steely resolve.

"It is our solemn duty to stand up to the likes of you. Because it is right. Because it is kind."

As he surged with power, the aspect of his old master resurfaced for the final assault.

"Because we are Jedi," they spoke in unison once more. Harnessing the Force, Thurion launched himself against Kaine Zambrano with the sole intent to halt the madman's grievous trespass once and for all. If he could not outright kill him, he would seek to cast him out of this sacred realm.

"FOR THE FORCE," master and apprentice cried out as one, attempting to penetrate the Black Iron Tyrant's defences.

Darth Carnifex Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Then be destroyed."

The darkness was overwhelming, it threatened to spill over their defenses and engulf them in shadow. Within the trio of Sith Lords, the power of the Dark Side was ascendant; unrivaled. Through them, it cascaded out to destroy all that the Jedi fought for, what they had died for since time immemorial. In this moment, the Sith would at last triumph, and seize the power to remake the universe for themselves. It would be the end of life as all new it, ground beneath the heel of the Dark Side.

Carnifex had seen this in the visions of His oracles, they had ordained it. It was inevitable, He was absolutely certain of it, this was the moment where all would be changed. Those that had walked this path before had never gotten as close as He had, He could feel victory right within His grasp. All He had to do now, was hold onto that victory.

His body radiated with the Dark Side, an eclipse in the Force.

But there was Thurion, moving forward despite the insurmountable power that radiated from the Dark Lord. It was like wading into an open reactor, falling into a blazing star, leaping into infinity itself. But the Lion King, no, the Jedi Master, walked forward without fear, resolute. In that moment, the Dark Lord faltered. There was a glare on the weave of prophecy, something that He could not see, something that had eluded Him. Now that blinding light took on the shape of Thurion Heavenshield.

No, not just Thurion Heavenshield.

Valery Noble.

Kahlil Noble.

The Dark Lord's anger rose, the Dark Side surged with it. He summoned His blade to His hand, Derriphan ripping itself from Kaahlil's weak grip and flying directly into Carnifex's. With the devourer in tow, the Dark Lord steeled Himself to meet Heavenshield head-on. The Jedi's blade swung down, imbued with power beyond that of time itself. Carnifex raised His blade horizontally to catch it, ready to shift the momentum and skewer Heavenshield through the gut; finally ending this insignificant resistance.

But that's not what happened.

The blades connected, sparks flew, and for a moment the two were suspended in time as they clashed.

A crack, that grew into a fracture, than multiplied onto itself until...

Darth Carnifex's blade broke.

Heavenshield's sword continued through the blade, cutting it directly in half. The tip of his sword continued down, splitting open a gash right through the Dark Lord's breastplate. It cut deep enough to dig through flesh, grazing the sternum bone before passing down and out through the stomach cavity. There was a brief pause as time seemed to stand still, the Dark Lord barely even registering what had just happened; refusing to even acknowledge it.

Then there was an explosion, emanating from between the broken halves of the sword. Light rushed out, shapes barely visible within. These shapes sped through the air in different directions, flying aimlessly. Some took on a firmer shape, becoming more visible as they slowed to a stop. They were Jedi, Sith, Mandalorians, men, women, even children. All who had been pierced by the Dark Lord's wicked blade, who had their soul drawn into His evil weapon, were flying out from the broken end en masse.

It was too much, and the blade tumbled from Carnifex's grasp to clatter to the ground. The other half fell as well, bouncing along the rocks before sailing off down into the abyss.

"Impossible," breathed Carnifex, His eyes wide with surprise. Blood seeped from the wound running down the center of His chest, black globules falling to the ground; sizzling with heat. He stumbled back, almost falling down as He did, His movements unsteady and uncertain.

"It is... Impossible."

Thurion Heavenshield | Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble ​

 

[Darth Centax]

Location: Mortis. Monastery Steps, Right/West Side.
Tag: Caden Evesa

Receiving a firm kick to the stomach knocked the Darth back with a grunt, who himself pushed off his front foot to get clear of any upward sweeping attack or stray saber. Centax was in no rush to meet the Jedi's prediction. Not an acolyte that lacked control over emotions or pain, emotions were slowly becoming his weapon, like everything else.

The longer the Jedi gave him to rest the more he recovered. He used that advantage to its fullest.

"Yes. Better than who we face. But you do not seize what could be yours. What will you be, a record in an archive? One of the thousands or more that came before." Centax's grating voice stated plainly. That was not his fate. His name would be remembered both in the Jedi he killed, the battles he fought, the worlds he conquered, a legacy all his own. When the three moons of Centax crashed into Coruscant to split that wretched hive in two, no one would forget who Darth Centax was. "Expectations of others and your false code are chains around your potential."

Continuing to breathe deep of the energies here, some would say the wellspring of the force at its peak, before being shaped to be whatever it became through or by others.

"And you give space and quarter when you should press your advantage. Jedi" Centax stated Caden's mistake pointedly. It was a common mark of the strong Jedi to stand protectively, steady on their ground not seeking conflict but not running either. If anything Caden had just embodied that reasoning and reserve in a way any Jedi should learn from. For the Darth it was gnawing weakness to give ground, pushing the loathing of it into his stride as he came forward.

Once again, side to side, unpredictable as to where he'd strike. His crimson ligthsaber split open Mortis behind him, force-pulling dust, loose stone, and energetic potential toward his opponent. Whatever made up this dreamlike world bled out into the surrounding space and was used...

Everything was a weapon.

Centax ran to somersault up and over his opponent, beam looking to connect downward with the other's weapon to block, while his own heavy right foot thrust toward the upper back or neck of Caden. Knowing the armor was weaker there now, and trying to send Caden staggering into the split, pulled ground ahead of him. What force energy emanated from Mortis, Centax had no idea. An experiment to test on another in the heat of battle. How very Kethenite.

 

[Caden Evesa]

Location: Mortis
With: Darth Centax
Allies: Jedi
Enemies: Sith
Equipment: Field Robes | Lightsaber
​

"I'm fine with being a number. I'm fine with being just another name, another face, another Jedi. I know I've done my duty and that's all that matters. I don't understand the obsession with wanting to be remembered, with legacy. Who cares who remembers you, so long as what you did mattered."

He meant it. Glory wasn't something that bothered the Jedi. When he was younger, it had, sure, but young people always wanted to be the best and go out in a blaze of glory. The older he got, the more he realised he was fine with being a background character, an extra in the movie that was the Galaxy and it's multiple wars and battleground.

"Good men have a code for a reason. Good men have rules for a reason. Today is not the day to find out why I have so many"

The crimson blade of his antagonist split the dream-world behind him, making the already unstable surface worse. The Sith opposition was using everything as a weapon, including the environment and Caden's yellow blade was rising to meet the loose rock being thrown up at him. Unfortunately there wasn't much he could do about the dust, lightsabers weren't well know for defending against dust.

Whatever energy was eminating from the planet was unlike anything Caden had ever faced before, and it was taking most of his energy to resist the attacks that came from it. The man opposing him was happily using the energentic potential of the dreamlike planet and Caden was having to fight it, and it sucked. It was like being suckerpunched over and over and over. It was a good counter to Makashi, that's for sure.

Annoyingly, the summersault caught him off guard. The yellow beam caught the opponent's crimson blade in a block, but it didn't stop the boot connecting. He felt the boot of the man connect with his neck and shoulder, sending him falling to the ground and rolling towards the potentially endless pit that had been opened up by the Sith Knight.

As he rolled, he did a quick mental check. Nothing was broken as far as he could tell, though he reckoned he'd have a few nice bruises from the kick. He ticked that off his list. The gaping hole he was rolling towards was a fairly large problem. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop before he fell, that much was obvious. He had mere seconds to think of a plan, else he get lost on Mortis, potentially forever. He wasn't sure what was below Mortis' surface but he didn't want to find out.

Caden released his weapon from his grasp, using the Force to keep it from rolling with him. He saw the edge of the split ground approaching him, and he closed his eyes. The young Jedi put all his trust in the Force in that moment. As he fell over the edge, he reached his hand up. His fingertips just closed onto the edge of the ground above, keeping him hanging.

He looked up, using the Force to pull his blade towards him. He hoped that if the Sith had followed, he would be standing right at the edge of the split and therefore the hilt of the weapon would hit the man on it's way to the grasp of the Jedi. It had a pointy end, the Rancor Tooth that Okkeus Dainlei had gifted him years ago. It was intended as a design feature but Caden's plan meant that it was finally going to see some use. That was the hope, anyway. He didn't know how much damage being stabbed by a rancor tooth would do to a man in armour but he was hoping it would do enough to startle the man at least.

The young Jedi pulled himself and went straight into a front kick. He didn't even check how safe it was, he just wanted to put some space between himself and his opponent as to prevent himself going back down the split in the floor. He took a deep breath before he lunged for the man, making a grab for whichever weapon he could get his hands on first.

He threw in a cheeky elbow to the face for good measure, before backing off and igniting the lightsaber in his hands.

The Makashi salute followed once again, and Caden took a breath. He wasn't willing to press the attack whilst the man was on the floor, but he gave enough distance to ensure the man couldn't physically attack him until he had gotten back to his feet. He needed a few seconds to regroup, to think. They were at a stalemate, that much was obvious.

Caden pointed his weapon at the man, and began to press an attack, a combination of lunges, slashes and strikes designed to keep the Sith off balance. Once Caden was certain his opponent was off balance, he pressed in harder. However he wasn't aiming for the kill, he was aiming to disarm the man of whatever weapon he was wielding. He wanted to end this fight now.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

The Wellspring of Life​

The Light descended upon the Dark like a bolt of lightning, breaking the guard of the Butcher King like the crashing of thunder. At that moment when all stood still, Thurion, for the very first time, witnessed fear in the Dark Lord's corrupted gaze. Fear of the unknown as his so-called prophecies fell apart around him. Fear of not knowing what would come next.

Even now, the kind-hearted Thurion could not help but pity the old man.

The fighting effectively came to a halt as Carnifex stumbled, bearing witness to his blood being spilt upon the ground. It must have been somewhat of a traumatic experience, having believed for so long that you're this immortal god, only for the blade of an enemy to shatter your entire world, misguided as it was.

Thurion followed up on his crippling strike with a pommel to Kaine's temple, forcing him to his knees. He then watched in bewilderment as the trapped souls of Derriphan were set free, some assuming the ghostly form of a Force spirit. It was overwhelming, bringing the High King to tears to witness countless dead finally achieve the peace they'd been denied for so long. One of them, a little girl by the looks of it, caught his gaze as she appeared to reach out to her saviour. He tried to take her hand, only for the juvenile spirit to fade before he could make contact.

"Kaine," he turned to his eternal nemesis, always holding onto the hope that invoking his birth name would reach the man within. His sword still held at eye-level and pointed toward his foe, Thurion approached the wounded Zambrano.

"It is over. You cannot win. Neither of you. Abandon this foolish crusade and submit to the justice you've outrun for so long," the Lion pleaded with his defeated foe, each word uttered with the utmost sincerity.

Even now, the kind-hearted Thurion believed in redemption. None of these three could ever hope to find redemption in life, but perhaps they might find a sliver of it by accepting the swift hand of justice.

He stood over his defeated foe, recalling his father's words whenever the grim task of enforcing justice presented itself.

"I, Thurion of House Heavenshield, First of His Name, Lord of Heavenheim, Warden of Westmark, High King of Midvinter and Protector of the Realm, sentence you to die. May the Gods have mercy on your soul, and may you find the peace in death you could not find in life."

It was not only a sentence but also served as a last prayer for the sentenced.

He raised the Sunlight Blade, holding it over his head with both hands firmly squeezing its grip. It all dawned on him now that it could all be over in the blink of an eye. Thurion readied himself for the execution of his arch-enemy.

But the final blow never came. Before he could follow through, there was the sound of steel piercing steel followed by a dull pain in his side. Still holding Anarion aloft, the Lion's gaze dropped to the shattered remains of Derriphan buried in his left flank. At first, there was no reaction, only the realisation that he suddenly lacked the strength to have his blade fall upon the kneeling Dark Lord.

Next came a growl as he attempted to speak, but no words came to him. The pose he'd held began to falter as he fought every urge to succumb until finally he spat red blood upon the sacred grounds of the Wellspring and collapsed. He found himself on his knees before the similarly incapacitated Carnifex and willed himself to pull the Sith blade from his side, hand trembling as he did.

One last-ditch attempt was made on Kaine's life, using his other hand to grasp the throat of his arch-foe, but it was too little too late. Unable to maintain balance, he resorted to holding on to the Dark Lord's breastplate. The two rivals shared one last look into each other's eyes before Thurion finally fell, too weak to move. Still, he held on to life.

"All of you," he whispered as the last remaining ghostly victims of the Butcher King scattered to the four winds. "Forgive m-me... for I have availed you n-nothing."

Darth Carnifex Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Wellspring of Life

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Thurion Heavenshield Darth Carnifex

It worked.

Valery could hardly believe her own eyes, but the coordination between the Sword, the Shield, and the Lion king was of a kind she had never experienced before. Islands were forced to freeze in space and time, runes were summoned to change the tide of battle, and Thurion's blade descended down upon the Dark Lord to shatter his weapon, and leave him crippled.

For the first time in her life, Valery watched Carnifex falter.

Blood dripped through the cracks in his armor, he was forced down to his knees, and once more, she watched Thurion's blade rise above the battlefield. In that moment, every memory related to the Dark Lord flashed through her mind. From their first meeting to her time in captivity and the nightmarish times he had caused for her family, but so many others as well. All of it could end, right here, and right now.

But it didn't.

Before the blade could come crashing down to end it all, Valery felt a surge in the Force, followed by nothing but pain. Her eyes widened in shock this time, as she watched a blade pierce into Thurion's side. "No!" She yelled, and as soon as he went down to his knees, Valery was already on the move with flashes of anger igniting inside. She forced control over that inner flame, and crashed down into the dirt with ferocious power, to send a shockwave of Force energy that lashed out only at those who stood against them.

<Your father!> Valery called out, knowing that Kahlil could follow up, while she took care of their mutual friend. Valery then dropped down to her knees and gently pulled Thurion against her, so she could lower him to the ground and offer him some comfort while they'd handle the rest. "You've done far more for us all than you think. Thank you, Thurion," she assured him, and as much as she wanted to stay by his side to ensure that he'd live, Valery knew she had to rise and stand with her husband.

"This has to end. Now."

Valery gritted her teeth as she looked at her enemy, her eyes burning even brighter than before. She had lost too many friends in life to allow this to continue, and together with Kahlil, she was going to make sure both Thurion and the Wellspring survived this day.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

<It's okay.>

Kahlil lowered his hands, but the runes had not faded. If anything, they seemed to glow brighter. He took a step forward, an in an instant they once again reality changed. Valery and Thurion now resided where he'd been, and now Kahlil stood before his father. All his life, from the moment he was born, this man had been a god. Untouchable, horrifying. Inhuman. But now, he looked human.

He lifted his blade. There was no hum from the white that had formed. His runes flashed, the ancient script lighting across it. But the heart of the blade wasn't just the Light he could bring. The spirits joined him. The souls that had been left stuck within his blade now free, they helped him. A sad smile formed on the Jedi's face as he brought the blade down. He did not want to cut down his father.

But the Jedi did not hesitate.

Valery Noble | Thurion Heavenshield | Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Centax]

Location: Mortis. Monastery Steps, Right/West Side.
Tag: Caden Evesa

Striding forward to the split ground, energies of Mortis released in his wake ahead, he angled his weapon down. Ready to cut the hanging grip of the man below. Eyes narrowed…. body turning, there was a piercing sensation on his left side. The clawed hilt found purchase in the runic armor. A small trickle of blood fell, the armor taking much of it but not all from the surprise attack. Getting a kick to his chin, Centax's helmet crunched and he stagged again backward. Already off balance, his body was knocked to the ground by the lunge. Easier to find the weapon on Centax's belt than in his hand, because crushgaunts didn't give up their grip easily. A red dark maroon lightsaber, one for instruction, enforcement of the Sith Code, and training was in Caden's hand.

With a smooth push from his back and hands, Centax sent himself back to his feet. Met with a rain of blows from his own saber! Falling into a familiar defensive Shii-Cho stance to limit angles of attack and hold ground. Still, his opponent marked his helmet with a burn across the front, almost breaking the left shoulder too now. But everything was a weapon, the pain in his side was immense. Leaving the pierced weapon in there until just the right moment… He rolled his saber upward to block, rotating the wrist. "Life is dust. Immediate gratification and momentary experience." A twist of his body, and a shoulder check to open up room, he stepped into the space. Force ripping the tooth out his side, "PAIN." and brought the Jedi's own lightsaber thrust down, stabbing the clawed hilt toward Caden's leg with the force. In the same move his saber rolled back down and went for the other leg. As if daring the Jedi to pick one to protect. "Understand yet?"

That wasn't all. He wasn't done. He had conquered pain when his hands had been taken, leaving Crushgaunts in their place. This was more than pain, this was the core of him, the fact Caden had taken his own weapon summoned an instinctive fury so great his second attack was to…

Keth, Conquer the Fourth. The Source. Mortis was their past, his weapon led the future.

Force Combustion

Blood ran down his side, mortality, "Only an act so great time can not reverse it will endure." His own lightsaber, a part of him had been taken, his history and legacy. Centax's weapon would begin to resonate in the Jedi's hands, a shrieking sense of warning in the force. The bitter fury of the Darth was channeled directly into his own crystal, drawing from Mortis, twisting it to who and what he was. The lightsaber potentially exploded soon after, perhaps taking any hand of Caden that still held it, or causing harm from the shards. Unless the Jedi knew the trick to stopping it….

But the Darth was not uncharitable, Caden had his own weapon back, perhaps embedded in his leg or nearby.

Caden had spoken of being another face, another name. A Jedi might have told him how things were connected, rippling forever outward, how we carried those who came before us in the hearts, eyes, words, and actions of those ahead. But that was not the Kethenite way. You died when you were weak, fuel for the fire of the battles to come. As "millions, billions, die in the long conflict, now nothing.", their lives and legacies were washed away. How many factions had come and gone, how many worlds had burned, been glassed, or split in two? Did anything the Jedi do matter in the face of such wanton destruction?

 

[Caden Evesa]

Location: Mortis
With: Darth Centax
Allies: Jedi
Enemies: Sith
Equipment: Field Robes | Lightsaber​

The pain was intense.

He felt the tooth of the rancor enter his leg, peircing through both armour and flesh. The blackness almost overtook his sight for a moment, he had to shake his head to try and clear the fuzziness caused by the pain of the weapon in his thigh. He felt blood trickle down his leg and his knee, leaving a feeling of wetness against his flesh.

For a moment, Caden had taken the advantage. Red had clashed with red, the two blades of the Sith meeting in combat. Caden had pushed everything he had, striking the helmet of the man with a slash that left a burn mark seared into the material. For a moment, Caden thought he had the battle won. But then he felt the Sith make the block.

The next thing he knew, his own weapon was imbedded in his leg.

Removed from the side of the Sith and inserted into his own leg. His opponent swung his blade towards Caden's other leg and Caden only just made the block. Red struck red once again. Caden pushed the blade of the Sith away and backed off, basically dragging his injured leg with him. He swore, which he didn't do often. The pain was overtaking his body.

Then he felt the warning in the Force. The Sith opposing him was willing to destroy his own weapon to take out Caden. The young Jedi didn't even think, he just threw the hilt of the weapon back towards it's owner. Caden watched as the weapon exploded, shards of lightsaber flying everything. Some of the shards struck at Caden, leaving cuts and scratches. Others would be deflected by Caden using the Force, pushing some of the shards of weapon towards his opponent.

"How many have to die before everyone does what they were going to do anyway?"

Caden pulled his own weapon from his thigh, grimacing in pain under his helmet as he did. He reignited his yellow blade, blood dripping down the hilt of his weapon and out of the wound on his thigh. He hoped that Centax didn't have any blood diseases or else he definitely had something nasty that he didn't want, they'd shared blood through his weapon.

"Sit down and talk"

Caden pushed the advantage yet again, although disadvantaged because of his leg wound that he was dragging behind him. He went for another flurry of strikes, slashes and lunges. He had given up attempting to disarm, it was clear the Sith was trying to take the life of the Jedi. The Jedi had done everything he could to avoid the taking of a life but it was clear he had no choice.

He was going for the killing blow.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Three

She felt it when the portal opened, connecting the physical and metaphysical aspects of the galaxy. It had long been their goal to reach the wellspring, to walk the path the Ones had walked in their quest to control the Force and the very flow of time and space. The project had taken a great deal of patience, spanning the since the first Alliance fell to now, hunting for the necessary keys and rituals for this day... the day of ascension.

Four

She had decided to stay behind as He went off to seize the throne he desired, to tilt the galaxy towards the darkness forever more. On Coruscant, night had fallen, the streams of traffic mesmerizing as she fell further into her meditation. Her mind slowly disconnecting from her body, watched by her daughter and her Adepts, following the flow of light and dark towards the portal.

Five

In this disconnected state, as the meditation of the Mind Walkers neared completion, she could see glimpses of what was occurring within that odd realm where life, where the midichlorians themselves, had supposedly originated. She had theorized, quietly, that the wellspring had been deliberately broken in ancient times into different aspects. Mortis had been the gate, the Wellspring the light, and the Maw the darkness. But even separated, the connections remained, and the portal would create a temporary connection between all three.

Six

He desired conquest, but that had never been her desire. Knowledge had always been her drive, to understand the great mysteries of the Force and the galaxy... and there was no other source of knowledge greater than what lay along the path of the Ones. In the flashes around her, she saw the great conflict between His aspects and the guardians chosen by the Light to stand against him. A Lord of the Sith and Masters of the Jedi locked in combat over the Throne.

Seven

Ethereal eyes opened as her mind completely separated from her body, her projection in a place of shadows. The in-between spaces of the physical world and the Force, each represented in this realm beyond shadows. To those within the Wellspring, she would be but a mere shadow, the lightest touch before it faded away. It would linger a touch longer on Him, a reminder and connection as He was placed at the mercy of the son, before she willed herself elsewhere, as she sought the one place within the odd realm of the Ones she desired: the Lake of Apparitions.

Darth Carnifex Thurion Heavenshield Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Darth Carnifex]

A thousand different thoughts running in sequence, trying desperately to parcel them rationally. He'd been so careful, so strategic. Every step of the path had been meticulously laid, painstakingly planned, and ruthlessly executed. All had worked exactly as envisioned, down to the very moment He'd step through the Night Door and into the Wellspring of Life. He knew who He'd face, and knew that victory was obtainable; it had been writ in prophecy, inked in totality.

But here He was, staring down something He had not foreseen.

Failure.

It was bitter, and clung to the roof of His mouth. Perhaps that was the bile in His throat, the terrible visceral reaction to the wound in His gut. All sound had faded from His ears, there was only a harsh ringing as He felt His heart pump vigorously in His chest, His own ragged breath wheezing out from His lungs; the hallmarks of fear.

But a Sith was above fear.

His eyes refocused, thrusting Him back into the cruel joke of a reality He found Himself in. They centered on Thurion, the Lion-King, as He approached. How many thousands, millions even, had been where He was now. Kneeling, beaten, staring down the sober certainty of death so unapologetically meted out. Was this to be His fate? It would be ironic, to meet an end so many had met at His hand, even indirectly. Perhaps if the universe was just, then it might be.

But it was not, and neither was He.

He still had His rage.

Fingers, numbed with anger, groped for the hilt of Derriphan, and found it slipping into His grasp. He didn't think, He acted. He felt the impact as jagged metal stuck into metal, and kept pushing until it met skin, then muscle, and finally soft organ. He'd pushed it all the way down to the guard, until it could conceivably go no further. Blood spewed out in thick rivers from the wound, bright red waterfalls that seemed so much brighter than the dull ruined earth beneath them.

Thurion reached out, fingers clasping for Carnifex's throat but only finding purchase against His breastplate. The two warrior-kings had fallen to their knees, wounded by the other. They were now face-to-face, eye-to-eye; level with one another. No words passed between them, only a silent understanding of what had transpired. Carnifex's hand reached out to take Derriphan back from Thurion's weakening grip, the entire blade well-coated with the Lion-King's blood.

He watched as Thurion fell, clutching His wounded side. He found strength in that, pain as deliverance. He began to rise unsteadily, eyes still fixed upon His adversaries. Those eyes blazed with a deep hatred, one that not even Kahlil had seen in his father. Valery moved to Thurion's side, a blast of energy lashing out in all directions. Carnifex managed to mitigate the buffet, as did Demiurge and Kaahlil, who were moving to Carnifex's side to defend Him. But there was Kahlil, moving quicker, his blade gleaming with the same energy that had shorn Derriphan in twain.

Thoughts again raced, but they were less chaotic, more calculating. He'd almost lost His nerve, but the thick stench of coppery blood in His nose brought Him clarity. The shadowy touch of Taeli Raaf grounded Him to their purpose, recentered His mind on what they were here to do. And in that moment, as the life streams of the Wellspring flowed around them, Carnifex saw the path forward.

The only path.

As Kahlil neared, Carnifex held aloft the broken blade of Derriphan. He flipped it over in His hand and plunged it down into His own heart. The blade, though broken, still cut through the metal after encountering some resistance. It parted flesh even easier, skewering the organ that had been beating within. In that instant, Carnifex died, felled by His own hand. His mind thought of Mori as the bonds which tethered His dark spirit to His corporeal form weakened and faded away entirely.

But He had to act fast, there was no time to waste. Unshackled, the spirit of the Dark Lord extended out His power as He left His body, seizing the nearest life streams with insidious dark tendrils. He bent these streams towards Himself, His body already crumbling and falling to dust in front of their very eyes. He lashed out at Demiurge as well, pulling His doppelgänger towards the dying body, a great rush of flame erupting from Carnifex's body to engulf Demiurge in a deluge of scouring fire.

There was a coalescence, a flash of light brighter than the sun. It centered on Kaahlil, who could not even comprehend what was happening. The silver-haired Sith reeled back as though blinded, fingers clutching at His eyes, as He became obscured within a great swirling mass of energy. As quickly as it came, it died away, dust particles cascading down from where the earth had been viciously shorn by turbulent wind and discharges of electricity. At the center was Kaahlil, his head lolled back as he stood on unsteady legs.

A moment of silence.

Then, movement. The twitch of a finger, the flexing of muscle. Inside his mind was confusion as one suddenly became three, then fear as three became two. Whatever existed of Kaahlil in that moment was obliterated, not simply destroyed or scattered or even expulsed; but totally erased. Two remained, and they struggled. The war stretched for eons in the mind, an endless battle of wills for dominance. But to the outside world, it was but a single heartbeat.

And two became one.

The eyes rolled back into position, blinking away the dirt which had briefly accumulated. The head snapped forward, the entire body shaking as muscles unfamiliar were being stimulated one after the other. Fingers flexed on either hand, testing their strength, before the arms flexed ever so slightly. They tilted their head up to look at Kahlil, pools of midnight black staring back at them unblinkingly. Then, two halos of bright copper slowly began to appear at their center, eyes that Kahlil could never mistake for any other.

Breath sucked into the being's nose, filling their lungs, before they exhaled out. Hands, once unsteady but now confident, reached up to brush through the bright silver hair that cascaded down from their scalp. As the fingers did, the silver bled out from each strand of hair, leaving behind only rich sable.

And the voice that emanated from behind the figure's lips was not that of Kaahlil, for they no longer existed.

"Hello, son."

Kahlil Noble | Valery Noble | Thurion Heavenshield | Taeli Raaf ​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Objective: Save Vera
Tag: Vera Noble / Jasper Kai'el / Starlin Rand

"I missed mommy and daddy."

Silas pulled her into his chest and gave Vera the biggest hug she could muster. No matter what he'd watch over her and keep Vera safe, she didn't deserve anything like this "I know you do Vera, I promise you'll be with them soon enough" the knight said softly before letting her go and leaning upright. She still seemed strong enough to walk, but it was going to be faster if one of them carried her out of there. It was just a matter of how many of the sith brutes were left.

Upon turning his attention to Jasper he seemed to have a gameplan already, one that required him to stay back and cover their exit. Silas nodded straight and reignited his saber, almost as if he was thinking of doing that anyway "It was about time you started throwing orders around Jasper" the knight said with a slight smile at first "Although, I will do what is asked." Silas agreed respectfully, looking back down at Vera with a warm smile "The order will need every warrior they can get if the sith decide to attack. I won't let you down"

"Look after Jasper for me Vera. I won't be far behind," Silas gave Vera's hair one last ruffle before turning around on his heels and jogging towards the entrance, deadset on striking down any sith stragglers that were still alive. Not only was he seeking revenge for the treatment of the child, but to send a message to the Darklord himself as to who he was up against.

<"May the force be with you both...">​

 

[Starlin Rand]

Starlin was already forging on ahead, slaughtering Sith forces with brutal efficiency. "You got the kid?" he called back, giving the other two Knights a thumbs up before gutting a cultist. "Great job! Now let's get out of here!"

He threw his molten shoto at an acolyte. The blade impaled the Sith through the chest and splattered flecks of lava on those unlucky enough to be standing near him. He then kicked a witch in the face and decapitated a sorcerer before the shoto spun back into his grasp, allowing him to fight two-handed again.

Perhaps it could be said that Starlin didn't like people who hurt children.

His boots echoed through the corridors as he ran back the way they had come, cutting down anyone that got in their way.

Silas Westgard Jasper Kai'el Valery Noble​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

For a moment, it made sense.

The man that was his father, or at least half of that same soul, turning his blade on himself. Escape through death. As a vessel once upon a time, he knew where Carnifex was trying to flee to. The Nether, to whatever rift or ritual he had to escape death. But that's why he faced him here within the Wellspring. It's why he brought down his saber, clad in the infusion of the light. There was no escape in death. With that path to the Nether blocked, not even the sickly soul of what was left of Carnifex could escape.
That's what he had planned for. That's why Kahlil brought his blade down through his father's corpse.

But his father wasn't there.

Pieces clicked together. Demiurge had always made sense. The other half of the soul that was once one. Kahlil's eyes turned to that second half, widening as a cold chill ran up his spine as that corpse similarly fell. The blade in his hand flickered, the runes he spent so long mastering and hiding from any eyes dissipating as his focus shattered. Kahlil turned his gaze towards his own dark mirror. The only one of the three that hadn't made sense for Carnifex to bring.

Tears filled his eyes. All Kahlil could feel now was grief. All his life he had learned to hide emotion. To show anything was weakness. But as he watched the confused, frightened eyes that so closely mirrored his own fade to the death he'd been scared of all his life, all he could feel was an overwhelming sense of sorrow.

He lowered the now empty hilt of his blade.

"How could you?" He knew the answer.

"Hello, son."

Rage. A deep, long accepted rage. No, not accepted. Unexpected. Kahlil's grip tightened on his saber. Kahlil had always been just a clone. He learned long ago just who he was to the Zambrano name. A clone of a child thought dead. Kaahlil had been the real one. Deep down, he'd hoped that the original was kept in the dark of their twisted fate for training. That Carnifex had every intention of lifting the real born son to a higher place that Kahlil himself was never allowed.

But no. He was as Kahlil was. Just a vessel. Gone for the greed of their father.

"He was your son! Your actual child! How could you!?"

Valery Noble | Thurion Heavenshield | Darth Carnifex